Next trail bike...26 or 27.5?

I will soon be in the market for a new bike to replace my pinched one. I was settled on a 26er Lapierre Zesty from my LBS because there's quite a few quid knocked off. After reading recent threads on the subject and seeing how many manufacturers are going down the 650b route, it's got me wondering if it's worth getting one.

I appreciate they'll be negligible to no improvement and that it's a cynical industry marketing move, but I'd still rather make the right choice while I've got the opportunity. I know buy the bike that feels right and rides right etc.

If you were in the market for a new full suspension trail bike tomorrow, would you be tempted to go for the new wheel standard?

EDIT: apologies for rehashing something that's been discussed to death. I'm not trying to start a wheel size debate, other than what people would buy if they were in the market for a new bike. Would you be swayed by the industry's seeming attempt to ditch 26ers?

Cotic is staying 26, and independent (i.e. not chinese factory based) brands will continue providing quality rims and parts because of the DEMAND for them!

Buy the 26" its cheaper, fits, is at your local store and rides nicely (i presume). I too am about to drop serious coin (for the first and only time) and i'm buying 26", if we buy 26, who are they (the marketing geniuses) going to sell 27.5 too? Those that fancy the fad? Well, in 5 years that'll be 26 or 24

If you get 26 there is a real risk that within a couple of years some spares may become an issue.

My Bulls**t detector has just gone off. Where the hell are you people getting your misinformation from and why are you perpetuating it?

Get a 26" like every single other rider I know, then laugh your arse off in a few years when all this slightly different wheel size nonsense goes away.

Alternatively get whatever suits you, just don't be taken in by the idiots that insist on conning you into believing that 26" is dead. It isn't and never will be. Any manufacturers with a shred of decency will keep making 26" alongside any other new stuff they feel they have to make to sell bikes.

Not making 26" trail bikes anymore, like for example Santa Cruz are is really sticking 2 fingers up at previous years customers.

I tried to get a new swing arm for a 5 from Orange last week as mine has somehow become twisted. I cannot believe what they told me. " it's not a warranty as it more than 2 years old" fair enough. Can I buy a new swing arm please " no we don't make 26" swing arms anymore" I nearly fell over. What so you don't have ANY? " we have a few for warranty and that's it" cheers orange looks like I'm getting a different brand now. It made my blood boil

They're making a 29er and 27.5 for 2014. The 29er will be 120mm front and back. The 27.5 will be 150mm front and back, which is baffling because the 27.5 Zesty is also 150mm f&r but with larger diameter forks and different geometry.

Buying a bike at this time of year you are always going to be faced with a decision of whether to buy the last of this year's model (hopefully with a bit of a discount) or wait for next year's model. As always, you've just got to decide whether the changes being brought in justify the extra money. If the only change is a 3% bigger wheel and you can save a bit of money by buying this year's model then I'd do that. 3% isn't going to change much and you'll be able to keep whatever you buy now running for as long as you want. But there may be other changes with the new model that are more important.

Also, if you are looking for a new XC or Trail bike you probably should at least consider a 29er. The change there (10%) still isn't as dramatic as some folk would have you believe, but it does make a noticeable difference. Unfortunately you probably need to ride one for longer than your average test ride in order to decide whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for you.

@stumpy: That doesn't sound like Orange's much fabled customer service. In fact it sounds downright worrying. Personally I don't care what wheel sizes they choose. They are the designers and it is up to them to design whatever they think is the best bike (and up to us to decide if we agree). But one of the things that draws me to Orange is a belief that I'll always be able to get parts. If they are not going to support existing customers then I'm much less likely to want to become one. Personally, I wouldn't let that lie and would be all over the place warning potential customers of this "issue" until they relent and knock out another swing arm for you. I doubt they've lost the drawings!

Not going to happen I don't think. I thought the same when 29ers came out. Just give it a few years and they'll be pushing the benefits of 26" wheels again, I thought. In fact, they are pushing smaller wheels again, but they are not quite the same as 26". So, basically, you're prediction has already come true but they never actually try to sell you the old thing again (even they don't think we're that daft), they just try and sell you a new thing that is indistinguishable from the old thing.

Although one thing I do find interesting is that 'the talk' is all of how 650b is sounding the death knell of the 26er because it has the benefits of bigger wheels, without the negatives, so why isn't it killing off both wheel sizes then?

All that ^ from someone who just wants to ride bikes and said he wouldn't get dragged into wheel size debates! Doh!

I tried to get a new swing arm for a 5 from Orange last week as mine has somehow become twisted. I cannot believe what they told me. " it's not a warranty as it more than 2 years old" fair enough. Can I buy a new swing arm please " no we don't make 26" swing arms anymore" I nearly fell over. What so you don't have ANY? " we have a few for warranty and that's it" cheers orange looks like I'm getting a different brand now. It made my blood boil.

I tried to get a new swing arm for a 5 from Orange last week as mine has somehow become twisted. I cannot believe what they told me. " it's not a warranty as it more than 2 years old" fair enough. Can I buy a new swing arm please " no we don't make 26" swing arms anymore" I nearly fell over. What so you don't have ANY? " we have a few for warranty and that's it" cheers orange looks like I'm getting a different brand now. It made my blood boil.

If that's the case then Orange have just gone from being my favourite bike brand to a complete joke.

Bruce, that's exactly how I feel. I have owned oranges for years steadily upgrading from a subzero, crush finally to my dream bike, a five. I'm definitely been guilty of being a fan boy and gushing about them to everyone and going on about their legendary cornering ability.
I was told It had the wrong bearings in it. (Impossible you can't put wrong bloody bearings in it!) and to bend it like that someone must have stood on it. The entire feeling I got was that they just wanted me to go away.
Now I'm no Luddite and I am open to all change. I'm actually putting some 650b's on the 456 to see what it feels like.
What's totally pissing me off is that after going to the manufacturer in the uk they refuse to help me. It's not like an LBS dragging their feet. This is it. A definitive no. Now I don't have my dream bike anymore. I'm combing the ads and eBay for a swing arm. Utterly depressing.
Just hope any of you five owners out there don't have any problems.

If you were in the market for a new full suspension trail bike tomorrow, would you be tempted to go for the new wheel standard?

Yes, I'd buy the biggest wheeled bike that does the job. I enjoy my 29er HT so buy into the benefits of big wheels, but I can see how maybe getting a 29er wheel into a long travel FS frame might compromise the design a bit. But I'd choose 650b over 26 any day, it it does the job (and I don't see why it shouldn't).

I've also no significant investment or mental baggage invested in 26, it's easy to let it go for me, mentally I dropped it as soon as I had my first good ride on a 29er.